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Nonprofits have a duty of care to ensure a safe environment for employees, volunteers & clients

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What is a Police Certificate? Why might I need one?

If you want to volunteer with the elderly, disabled or other disadvantaged groups, you may need a Police Certificate.

Nonprofits working with at risk groups must protect these individuals from any kind of abuse, including verbal, physical, sexual or financial. This protection is what we all expect and demand for ourselves and our families. We would not allow strangers into our homes if we did not know they were genuine, honest people and they are who they claim to be. This is what the Police Certificate helps to establish.

For an organisation to obtain a Police Certificate about you, you will be required to sign a consent form and provide them with proof of ID to submit to the Police. The organisation also needs to be registered with the Police as a group with a genuine need to protect the people they serve.

For more information about Police Certificates, visit the QPS website.

Why do I need a blue card to volunteer? How can I apply for a blue card?

All volunteers working with children or young people must hold a blue card to confirm they are suitable to work with this group of people.

A blue card is free for volunteers to obtain. The organisation will apply for the blue card on behalf of their volunteer, who must provide proof of identification for the application to commence. It could take anywhere from two to six weeks for your blue card to arrive. Two to three weeks is normal, but may take longer if clarifications need to be made to a certain part of the application. Volunteers cannot start working with an organisation until their blue card has been approved.

If your blue card is due to expire, ensure you reapply at least 30 days before the listed expiry date. If you allow your card to expire before applying for a new card, you will not be able to continue volunteering for your organisation until your new card has been received.

If you already hold a blue card, or wish to check a volunteer's blue card, you can check validity via Blue Card Services - Online Validation. Blue cards for volunteers are valid for three years.